Illuminated plaque watch and the like



April 21, 19-70 M. HOCHBERG 3,503,044

ILLUMINATED PLAQUE WATCH AND THE LIKE Fi led Feb. 14, 1968 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 4 7/ UFE/IH'UFHD m: mmw

INVENTOR.

[1G, 5' BY Mf70ll 1700602826 A TTORNEY April 21 1970 M. HOCHBERG I ILLUMINATED PLAQUE WATCH AND THE LIKE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 14, 1968 m m3 TH mm MH w u 1 M A TTORNEY United States Patent US. Cl. 240-6.43 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A plaque watch is illuminated by a battery and bulb in a replaceable assembly which snaps into a recess in the plaque. The lamp holder is a metal cup and a coextensive channel pivotably mounted in the recess. The bulb is secured in the channel and a battery is placed in the cup on a compressible insulating pad such that it contacts the plaque when in the recess. Leads from the bulb are connected to the lamp holder and to a contact member in the pad whereby pressure on the cup compresses the pad to allow connection btween the battery and the contact and to thereby complete the circuit lighting the bulb. A watch case is also mounted in the recess with a window proximate the recess for the lamp holder whereby light from the bulb illuminates the watch.

This invention relates to illumination means for plaque I Watches and the like, and it relates more particularly to a bracelet or watch brooch or the like utilizing a miniature battery and bulb hidden within the device and so arranged that the lighting circuit can be activated by manual pressure.

Background of the invention There exists considerable need, therefore, for a means of illuminating a wrist watch positively and reliably which overcomes any or all of the drawbacks cited above. This invention utilizes the bracelet-watch or brooch-watch combination now in common use to accomplish this, by locating the lighting circuit and associated parts within the plaque, adjacent to but rigidly attached to the watch.

By this means, in combination with a novel method of mounting the watch and bulb, this invention avoids the need for lifting or moving the lighting circuit in any way, eliminates the need for any switch, makes replacement of the battery and/or the bulb simple, rapid, inexpensive, and easily performed by the user, and permits activating the battery circuit to illuminate the watch with mere finger pressure. This invention, therefore, makes an illuminated watch practical, not bulky, and permits concealment of the illumination means.

It is a primary object of this invention to provide an illuminated watch which is simple and rapid to operate.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an illuminated watch in which no parts of the lighting circuit are externally visible when the watch is worn.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide an illuminated watch which allows simple and 3,508,044 Patented Apr. 21, 1970 rapid replacement of used lighting circuit components.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide an illuminated watch which is highly reliable in performance over long periods of time without failure.

Description of the drawing FIG. 5 is a plan view of a brooch employing the in-- vention and FIG. 6 is a plan view taken from the rear of the' brooch of FIG. 5.

Description of the preferred embodiment Referring to FIG. 1, there is shown a typical bracelet watch 10. Illustrated are rings 12 and 13 for attachment to a watch band, inscription 14, cutout 15, watch face 18, watch case 16 and winding stem 17. This represents a typical bracelet watch utilized in this invention.

Referring now to FIG. 3, recess 20 is milled or otherwise cut into bracelet 10 with additional narrow slot 22 connecting to watch face 18. The recess 20 is designed to accept, on the left side, disc-shaped battery 50 with negative terminal 24 comprising the entire peripheral and top section of the battery and positive terminal 48 the lower section of the battery. Holding the battery in place in the bracelet and also holding bulb 38 in place is cartridge 26 which consists, on the left side, of round, cupshaped part 32 utilized to hold battery 50, and on the right side of sheet metal clip 34, utilized to hold bulb 38 and pivot pins 36, which may be formed from bent sections of clip 34. Thus cartridge 26 consists of a stainless steel cup 32 and clip 34 permanently joined into a single member 26, which member inserts into recess 20 in part 10 and is held in place therein by pins 36 inserted into matching recesses in part 10, and therefore holding both battery and bulb in place. Further, cartridge 26 can be pivoted about clip 36 by pressure on cup 32 toward bracelet 10, which pressure compresses urethane foam pad 28 and thus allows contact 30 to engage positive terminal 48 of the battery, lighting filament 40 in bulb 38 by passing current through insulated lead wire 44 which current returns through lead wire 42 which is in turn attached to the clip 34 as by welding and thereby to negative battery terminal 24.

Referring to FIG. 3, the shape of recess 20 in bracelet 10 is shown, having a circular left side to hold battery 50 and an elongated narrow right side to hold bulb 38 within clip 34, as well as recesses 37 into which pivot tabs 36 are inserted by finger compression of clip 34 which springs apart after insertion. This allows cartridge 26 to be pivoted about pins 36 to activate the light.

FIG. 4 is a section through the center of the bracelet which shows the operation of making the electrical contact more clearly. Wire 44 connects from the bulb filament to contact 30 which normally does not touch positive battery terminal 48. However, when pressure is applied to cartridge 26 toward bracelet 10, urethane foam pad 28 is compressed and contact between parts 30 and 48 is made, closing the lighting circuit and illuminating the bulb. Only a very small amount of physical movement, and a very small amount of angular movement about pivot axis 36, is required to achieve this contact. Light then enters through slot 22 and is spread through glass face 18, illuminating the Watch face. Cartridge 26, including bulb 38 which is permanently soldered therein, becomes a simple inexpensive replacement part when the bulb burns out. By squeezing together opposite walls of clip 34 between the fingers, the spacing between pins 36 can be reduced sufiiciently to allow them to drop out of bores 37 and therefore the cartridge 26 to be removed for replacement, or to allow replacement of the battery. A grain of wheat type bulb with one, and preferably with more than one filament, so as to increase illumination, is utilized. In FIG. 4 two filaments connected in parallel is shown. The length of the bulb is in the order of one-quarter inch, and the diameter of the battery is in the order of three-eighths of an inch. Only sufficient protrusion from the back of the bracelet is employed to permit finger pressure against the bracelet to cause cup 32 to compress urethane foam pad 28 sufficiently for contact to be made between contact 30 and battery terminal 48 and therefore illumination of the bulb.

(In FIGS. 5 and 6 there is shown a brooch with the invention incorporated therein. Brooch 60 has incorporated therein the snap-in clip 34, as shown in FIG. 6.

Having disclosed the best embodiment of this invention as applied to a bracelet wrist watch, similar construction could be employed in a brooch watch or other form of plaque watch otherwise worn on the person, Without departing from the spirit of this invention.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. An illuminated watch comprising:

(a) a metal plaque having a recess for receiving a Watch case, in juxtaposition with an opening in the face of the plaque, a channelfor receiving a light bulb holder and a battery-receiving recess;

(b) a light bulb holder comprising a pivotable sheet metal cup and a coextensive sheet metal channel mounted in the light bulb holder recess;

(c) a bulb securedin said sheet metal channel;

((1) a compressible electrically nonconductive pad in said cup;

(e) a contact member positioned in said compressible pad below the surface of said pad in the normal uncompressed condition of said pad and above the surface in the compressed condition of said pad;

(f) a first lead from said bulb connected to said contact member;

(g) a second lead from said bulb connected to said bulb holder;

(h) a battery positioned in the battery-receiving recess with one terminal of the battery in contact with said plaque and the other terminal of the battery adjacent said compressible pad whereby said second battery contact is spaced from said contact member when said compressible pad is in the normally uncompressed condition and said second battery terminal is in contact with said contact member when said compressible pad is compressed by pivoting of said sheet metal cup; and

(i) a Watch case having a transparent window mounted in the recess for receiving a watch case with the transparent window in juxtaposition with the opening in the face of the plaque and proximate the recess for receiving the light bulb holder whereby light from said bulb reaches said window when said bulb is energized by said battery.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said channel member is provided with pivot pin portions which mate with pivot bearings in the side walls of the recess in the plaque.

3. The' apparatus of claim 1 wherein the said sheet metal cup is formed of stainless steel.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said compressible pad is composed of a synthetic resin foam.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said bulb has two filaments connected in parallel.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,085,149 4/1963 Giwosky 2406.4 3,114,507 12/ 1963 Dommer 240-6.44 3,116,883 1/ 1964 Neugebauer 2406.43 3,284,997 11/ 1966 Money 2406.43 XR 3,392,275 7/ 1968 Henrich 2406.4

NORTON ANSHER, Primary Examiner D. S. STALLARD, Assistant Examiner U.S. Cl. X.R. 58-50; 240-59 

